Nohow On: Company, ill seen, ill said; and Worstward Ho

Hello Gentle Reader

Its a book review. I finally got off my lazy ass and decided it is time to do a book review. "Nohow on: Company, Ill see, Ill Said; and Worstward Ho," are three novella's by Samuel Beckett. Though Samuel Beckett refused to call these three novella's a trilogy, or a trinity or a triptych or a trifle or whatever. They are often considered to be a trilogy in their own right. Much like Samuel Beckett's earlier prose work or rather his mature trilogy of novels: "Molloy," "Malone Dies," and "The Unnamble." The novellas of "Nohow On," are also considered a trilogy -- even though Samuel Beckett often said otherwise. But that is not what matters. The trilogy or trinity or triptych or trifle of "Nohow On: Company, Ill seen, Ill Said, and Worstward Ho," are written in what is considered Samuel Beckett's later period. This period, is where Samuel Beckett, had stripped down his working prose, to the bare essentials -- even falling into repetition of repetition. These novella's are often noted as being called "Closed Space," stories, in which Samuel Beckett's work has got more and more and more, minimalist, and preoccupied his stories with memory and its effects on those (the characters) who are confined in these "Closed Space," stories.

The idea of memory perhaps best shown in the first novella, called "Company." This short novella (though I think it is the longest of the three novella's collected here.) is the first novella that gives the reader the taste of what they are in for, for sure. I think in most cases the novella is going to be a like it or don't like it. But it expertly shows the use of memory. I would like to wonder, if these memories, that are being used, are autobiographical in some sense or another . . . perhaps I am wrong, but it does appear, that they could be. As the introduction to this slim book of novella's says, Samuel Beckett, had wrote a letter to a friend or someone about a nightmare he was having (I believe this was all recorded during his last days) where he explained that he kept having a nightmare, when he was younger and his father urged him to jump off the diving board (or whatever they are called) down in the pool below. Needless to say I think the younger Samuel Beckett was quiet frightened by this. Quite frightened indeed, and this passage was latter recorded in the novella called "Company."

The Novella called "Company," shows many of these memories. But they are presented t the man laying in the dark on his stomach or was it his back (?) -- by a voice. This voice speaks to this man who is lying in the dark, about the past and the present and sometimes (as we can guess) the future. All of this is done to the man who is sitting in the dark. Now that is appears rather straightforward doesn't it? But it isn't. Samuel Beckett's use of language, and structure, is what gives his stories, and his works such a odd edge. The first paragraph of "Company," really gives you the understanding of what you are in for. and if you do not like it, then sorry to say, I would recommend returning the book, or giving it to someone as a present, because it is not going to get any better from there on out.

"A voice comes to one in the dark. Imagine. To one on his back in the dark. This he can tell by the pressure on his hind parts and by how the dark changes when he shuts his eyes and again when he opens them again."

And so is the brief summarization of "Company," by Samuel Beckett. We assume the first character in this first "Closed Space," story/novella, is a male.

The next novella or perhaps best seen as anti-story is "Ill Seen, Ill said."

Well this novella or story or anti-story takes place in a rural unspecified area. It focuses on a nameless woman. She is old, and her body is decaying because of her old age. Everything about her is failing. Her eye site is the most predominate physical trait that is failing. Her sense of direction is gone. East, West, North, South no longer matters. Her eye site is gone, and her body is failing. She lives alone. She has nothing really. She has a few rustic items. So far as the reader you know, this old woman's eyes and health and body is failing her. It’s fair to say that her mind is failing her as well. Most of this novella centers and revolves around the questioning of what is often seen as "universal truths." Pleasure and pain; right and wrong; good and evil. All these notions, this old woman questions. Now that she is older, and everything is failing her, she finds herself questioning in the meaning of these notions. Sure they are in place, and people believe them, but the old woman wonders, if anyone -- even herself; has ever understood these notions. She later just determines, that no one -- not even herself; knows what these ideas mean or even what these words mean. This novella really just relies on this woman and her three activities and her questions and suspicions. In the end all these activities, questions and suspicions, are all meaningless, and have no meaning, no value, nothing. Much like real life. Every action, every question, every theory, and every wonder, never has much meaning, and all -- much like this old woman, in this novella or anti-story "Ill Seen, Ill Said," the day to day activities, and questions, suspicions, and wonderings, are all meaningless. For much like this old woman, we are also waiting for death. Some have shorter time to wait, while others have a longer time to wait.

"Worstward Ho," is the last novella of this collection. This last story is perhaps the best example of Samuel Beckett's best example of, his use of minimalism, and use of repetition and repetition of repetition.

Here is an example of Samuel Beckett's use of minimalism from page 89 (eighty-nine) paragraph Four (4).

"All of old. Nothing else ever. Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."

That is perhaps one of my favourite lines from the entire collection, of these novellas. I love the quote: "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." Is it fair to say its inspiring. Sure why not. But what I like the most of it, is its contradiction. Try? and you failed? Oh well fail better next time. Failure is not always the end.

But with that line one can certainly see Samuel Beckett's use of minimalism. The very short sentences. The repetition. The very choice economy of words. This is what minimalism is. Its taking . . . splinters of a scene or a event, or something and then just gluing this splinters back slowly. I think (and I could be wrong) that Samuel Beckett was the first man to really use this type of a style in such an odd and ambiguous way. He ripped apart scenes, and took slivers off the scene, and then placed them back together. Minimalism, is often noted for stripping not only the prose but even characters, and other forms of literary conventions down to the bare essentials. Eugene Ionesco’s plays (or rather his earlier plays) where often noted for their use of characters speaking in odd ways. such as: "One should always take an umbrella when it rains." the use of the word as "one," replacing "I," or "You," or "They," is what Eugene Ionesco wanted to do, by creating puppets of play characters, via the use of dialogue or its failure.

The use of minimalism is most predominantly put to its radical form in Samuel Beckett's, latter works. While reading all of these novella's or tales, I found it difficult to really find the characters in these works. Especially "Ill Seen, Ill Said," but they were all good, in their form of style and structure. I personally loved the use of repetition, which can adequately be displayed in the following, paragraph or passage, from page one hundred and six (106) paragraph/passage number one (1):

"Worse less. By no stretch more. Worse for want of better less. Less best. No. Naught not best worse. Less best worse. No. Least. Least best worst. Least never to be naught. Never to naught be brought. Never by naught be brought. Never be naught be nulled. unnullable least. Say that best worse. With leastening words say least best worse. Fow want of worser worst. Unlessenable least best worse."

While reading the work -- every one of these novellas; but especially "Worstward Ho," it felt a lot like, poetry. Reminded at times, like Herta Muller's work . . . but it is also quite different then her work. Which is also quite interesting to say the least because both Samuel Beckett and Herta Muller are Nobel Prize in Literature winners. Samuel Beckett one the prize in 1969 and Herta Muller won the prize in 2009.

In all these novella's are a great example of Samuel Beckett's prose in his late period, where his work was stripped down to the bare essentials, even borderline poetic at times, and all much different than his early and middle period work. Its certainly though work of: if you do like it or if you don't like it. That is for sure, a big question, and if you don't, you don't, that’s fine, and if you do, you do. Samuel Beckett, is certainly no easy author to read, but he is an enjoyable author to read also, once you get past certain things, and he can be quite funny at times. But these works appear a bit more hopeless and despairing then comedic. But still they are good, and I enjoyed them nonetheless.

Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader
And As Always
Stay Well Read

Take Care
My Dear Gentle Readers

M.Mary